It didn't take long for the group to reach the outskirts of Tianji Village, their feet pounding the dirt path as they raced against time. The urgency was palpable, each footfall kicking up little clouds of dust that dissipated in their wake.
Numerous scenes of chaos unfolded before them, but only Ji Wuye, among the group, closely observed the finely tuned skills of the Inner Disciples with a critical eye.
'Amazing,' he thought to himself, impressed by the awe-inspiring sight before him.
In the velvety blanket of night, the full moon cast an ethereal glow over Tianji Village, surrounded by undulating grasslands gently swaying in the cool breeze. A towering wall of ravenous flames had been erected, hungrily licking at the air as it encircled the village on all sides, the crackling inferno casting a sinister orange hue over the scene.
The disciples maintained the fiery barrier, their chests heaving with exertion as they continuously exhaled scorching streams of fire. Beads of sweat glistened on their furrowed brows. Qi was being sucked from the surrounding area into their bodies, becoming a continuous supply for this endless fire that kept lighting up the night sky.
Suddenly, a figure emerged from within, recklessly breaking through the blazing wall. Embers clung to his tattered robes as he stumbled forth, desperation etched onto his soot-streaked face.
"Fucking hypocrite bastard! How shameless they are to-" Just as he cursed and thought he finally escaped, a shadow suddenly overwhelmed him and the next moment.
SLASH!
"Arghh!" His escape was short-lived as the guarding disciples swiftly reacted, their blades flashing like silver streaks in the moonlight, slashing at his hands with surgical precision. The man crumpled to the ground, howling in agony as his severed fingers scattered across the dirt, thick rivulets of blood spilling forth.
It was a seamless coordination among the Kunlun disciples, whether they wielded the skills they garnered from the Tower or their finely honed martial arts skills.
On the other hand, Ji Wuye noticed that the group who had just arrived didn't need to utter a single word, yet they moved together with an almost telepathic fluidity, effortlessly passing through the fiery barrier unscathed. It was like they just nodded at each other, and then they went in as if they were a backup reinforcement.
However....
'Interesting...' Ji Wuye thought with a faint, intrigued smile playing at the corners of his lips.
What caught his attention was that none of their robes caught ablaze after passing this wall of fire. Instead, their bodies shimmered with a glistening coat of water droplets that refracted the silver moonbeams, as if they were encased in a sheath of liquid protection.
The next moment, with a deft flick of his wrist, he unsheathed his jian, the blade humming as it sliced through the air, catching the moonlight and refracting it in a brilliant arc.
A faint bluish Qi enveloped both his body and sword, enveloping him like an embrace. Yet, in the next swift moment, with a decisive slash, he briefly parted the towering wall of fire, the edges rippling like water before closing behind him as he slipped through, the heat licking at his face but unable to penetrate the protective aura.
"Huh? Is that an Outer Disciple?" Even amidst the chaos, Ji Wuye's bold actions caught the attention of some disciples, their eyes widening in bewilderment. The surprise was evident in their tones, carrying over the roar of the flames. But they had no time to dwell on it as more shadows emerged from behind the undulating wall of fire.
...
Meanwhile, just as Ji Wuye passed through the barrier's crimson embrace, the scene inside Tianji Village had been utterly transformed.
The once pristine stone-paved streets ran thick with rivers of viscous crimson, the metallic tang of blood assaulting his nostrils. His white shoes left macabre imprints with every step, all the spilled life essence emanating from deep within the depths of the village like a seeping wound.
Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
The intense heat radiating from the surrounding wall of fire painted the night sky in shades of searing orange, casting an eerie glow that heightened the tense atmosphere. Ji Wuye could feel the tickling scorching waves washing over his skin.
The thick rivulets of blood beneath his feet continued to flow outward, only to sizzle and evaporate into wispy tendrils of vapor as they made contact with the hungry flames licking at the fiery barrier behind him. The acrid stench of charred flesh mingled with the metallic tang, assaulting his senses in a macabre symphony.
As Ji Wuye advanced further into the village, his sharp gaze swept over the macabre scene unfolding before him. Corpses lay strewn haphazardly across the main road, many of them clearly bearing the marks of skilled martial artists - deep lacerations from blade strikes, scorched flesh from elemental attacks.
The bodies were contorted in unnatural positions, expressions of pain and fear frozen onto their lifeless faces.
Gone were the familiar scents of exotic perfumes or sweet jasmine from the courtesans that once lingered in the air, the bustling crowds and vibrant energy, or the warm glow of colorful lanterns hanging invitingly from the edges of buildings. Instead, only broken stalls, shattered remnants of a lively past, and lifeless bodies remained.
At the same time, Ji Wuye's piercing crimson eyes then caught sight of a group of Inner Disciples and Official Disciples ushering commoners to safety.
'A full strength of Kunlun disciple, huh?' Ji Wuye's mind raced as he moved with purposeful strides, his body a blur of motion.
In the blink of an eye, his white shoes tapped almost soundlessly against the hard ground, and his lithe form appeared atop a two-story building, granting him an elevated vantage point overlooking the impenetrable wall of fire blocking every exit from Tianji Village. His robes fluttered lightly in the warm updrafts from the flames below.
"Hmm? Who are you?!" Ji Wuye had just landed gracefully on the black tiled roof when his heightened senses detected several figures observing the situation from above, much like himself. Their eyes narrowed as they studied his form.
The scene was chaotic, with light only coming from the wall of fire and the broken lantern. Recognizing everyone's face was hard; even after squinting their eyes, it was impossible to see this person's face.
However, they felt familiar seeing the white flowing hair. Their eyes blinked for a moment, yet when their gazes fell upon the aqua stripes adorning his white martial robe, marking his status as an Outer Disciple, surprise and suspicion flashed across their faces.
The figure spoke up, voice laced with disbelief and wariness, "An Outer Disciple... How could an—No..."
The familiar feeling was instantly gone as the figure recalled the imposters who had infiltrated their ranks by donning the guise of Outer Disciples during that morning's cleanup operation.
An Outer Disciple in Tianji village; the conclusion was already made!
Without hesitation, the figure immediately sprang into action, their body blurring with speed. Muscles coiled like a viper preparing to strike as they swiftly drew their jian in one fluid motion.
On the other hand, when Ji Wuye saw this, he sighed. 'Well, given the situation, it's normal.' Explaining to this figure would take too much time, causing him to miss his real purpose here. In addition, he believed Kunlun disciples wouldn't be that easy to convince, unlike Elder Qiao.
Most of them think using their muscles. Thus, he had no choice. Then, under his piercing crimson gaze, this figure's movements were too slow.
image [https://i.ibb.co.com/R991vKM/Notif-2.webp]
Yet for some reason, his skill actually triggered, and with his Feline Reflexes even activated, it caused the world around him to seemingly slow to a crawl.
Under this slow motion, the attacking disciple's jian descended in a vertical slash with exaggerated sluggishness.
Ji Wuye casually stepped back, his body weightlessly evading the strike with almost nonchalant ease.
The blade carved through the space where his neck had been mere moments before, each individual droplet of blood seeming to hang suspended in the air. His crimson eyes shone with a mixture of amusement and focus as he assessed the threat before him.
At the same time, his sharp eyes noted the fleeting look of surprise that flashed across the face of his attacker, who wore the white martial robe adorned with dark blue stripes - the unmistakable mark of an Official Disciple.
SWOOSH!
After effortlessly evading the lethal strike with his preternatural reflexes, Ji Wuye didn't miss a beat. He moved forward with a predatory fluidity, his body bent slightly in a coiled stance as he clenched his hand into a tightly balled fist. In one blindingly swift motion, he drove his knuckles downward with devastating force towards the disciple's abdomen.
BANG!
"Ugh!" The attacking disciple's face drained of color, his eyes widening in shock and disbelief as he looked down to see Ji Wuye's fist burying itself just below his navel. The impact drove the air from his lungs in a pained wheeze.
At the same time, the shimmering aura of protective bluish faint Qi that had enveloped the disciple's body flickered and vanished entirely, leaving him vulnerable.
"W-what d-did you do?" he groaned through gritted teeth, the agonizing pain lancing through his core as he collapsed to one knee, paralyzed by the precise blow that had struck his Lower Dantian.
Moments later, his body slid limply off the black-tiled roof and plummeted to the ground below with a sickening thud, kicking up a small cloud of dust upon impact.
image [https://i.ibb.co.com/9cwTRC8/Notif-Pressure.webp]
However, Ji Wuye didn't spare a glance at either the fallen disciple or the transparent overlay that flashed briefly across his vision. His focus was entirely consumed by the chaos engulfing Tianji Village.
His narrowed gaze swept over the scene, his sharp eyes caught sight of a distant area suddenly consumed by a violently swirling typhoon intermingled with streaks of lightning that danced across the tumultuous vortex. Flashes of brilliance cut through the gloom, illuminating the vortex's maw with each searing bolt.
At the same time, his eyes slid to the side, caught another intense phenomenon occurring in the opposite direction of the thunderous maelstrom. A heavy, oppressive pressure descended upon that area as well, the very air seeming to grow thick and viscous, distorting the surrounding flames.
One was the now familiar manifestation of a Zone, while the other... 'A Sword Aura,' Ji Wuye's mind instantly recognized as he carefully observed both scenes of turmoil unfolding.
In addition to these disturbances, numerous similar occurrences rippled outward within his line of sight, undoubtedly the clashes between the resisting Unorthodox martial artists and the Kunlun forces. The very earth trembled from the impacts, debris and dust filling the air in roiling clouds.
'A land of harvest... ripe with valuable insight.' Ji Wuye's crimson eyes gleamed with ravenous anticipation, his lips curling into a predatory smile.
Without a moment's hesitation, his powerful body propelled forward in a burst of speed, each explosive step shattering the black-tiled roof beneath him as he launched himself straight into the heart of the fray.